Tag: online

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Past Perfect vintage music

Past Perfect vintage musicIt may seem odd to write about music in these pages but I just received a distressing e-mail newsletter from a British record label called Past Perfect that specializes in restoring 20th-century (primarily jazz) recordings, whose very fine engineers utilize the latest audio restoration technology. In a word, the sound is incredible, considering the sources are from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s.

The distressing part is that Past Perfect’s chairman has had an unhappy birthday due to the recent lack of orders! To help keep them going, I urge you to browse their site and sample some of the many riches found there, from Fred Astaire, Benny Goodman, and Noel Coward, to flappers, World War II, and film music. Each holiday season my family and I enjoy their Christmas songs CD. While a great starting place for the uninitiated is the Past Perfect music sampler, they’ll gladly ship a pre-loaded “Vintage Collection” iPod (starting at roughly $419.00). And most of its catalogue is available for download from either Past Perfect or from the popular eMusic site.

I’ve bunged in my support by ordering some CDs and downloading several eMusic tracks. Don your spats and topper, tuck in with a P.G. Wodehouse novel, and pop Past Perfect’s music on the Victrola. Now where did I set down my g & t?

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“Off-the-shelf” logos

Your Name HereThe recent concept of prêt-à-porter or “shelf” logos involves the online offering of pre-designed corporate logos with exclusive ownership (i.e., the logo design may not be resold). A few companies have cloned the online business model, but the geniuses at South Africa-based LogoAnts.com appear to have perfected it, offering clean, perhaps generic-looking logos for those with a small budget. The customer browses categories such as swoosh, Christian, building, 3D, etc., then adds its organization’s name to its choice. Clearly, target industries are small-time entrepreneurs, startups, builders, and churches. Despite claims made to the contrary by the manufacturer, most of these logos are forgettable. But it’s hard to fault business owners wanting to explore these options, as the prices are astonishingly low (shelf logos start at $99!).

Pundits will argue that one’s logo should be a unique symbol of the brand and the people behind it, and working one-on-one with a graphic designer is the only way to achieve superior results. Indeed, some sites do offer graphic design consultation, and LogoAnts.com offers custom logo design services from $179. Professional graphic design firms specializing in corporate branding should prepare to lose a share of its smaller clients tempted by these budget services. And maybe, it will spur professional designers to produce stronger creativity (and avoid clichés).